Chapter 5: The Desecration of the Altar
The Old Chapel on the outskirts of Oakhaven was a skeleton of its former glory. Its roof had long since collapsed, leaving the shattered marble pews to be reclaimed by thorns and ivy. The moonlight bled through the empty window frames, casting ghostly shadows of the saints onto the cracked floor.
Cyan stood by the altar, his silhouette framed by the jagged remains of a stained-glass window. He didn't have to wait long.
The sound of soft footsteps echoed against the stone. Isabella Oakhart appeared, wrapped in a heavy velvet cloak that couldn't hide the trembling of her hands. She looked small, fragile, and utterly out of place in this graveyard of faith.
"You actually came," Cyan said, his voice echoing with a calm authority.
"I... I shouldn't be here," Isabella whispered, her eyes darting around the dark corners of the chapel. "If the temple guards find me, or if my father knew... I would be sent to the nunnery of silence for the rest of my life."
"And yet, you chose the darkness over your father's 'safety'," Cyan said, stepping down from the altar. "Tell me, Isabella, why did you come?"
She looked up at him, and for a moment, her noble mask shattered. "Because I'm suffocating! Every day is a prayer I don't believe in. Every word I speak is a script written by men who look at me like I'm a piece of property. You... you looked at me today like you saw who I really was."
Cyan reached out, his gloved hand tilting her chin upward. "I see a flame that is being smothered by cold, dead ashes. You don't belong in their temples, Isabella. You belong in the fire."
He didn't wait for her to respond. He let his hood fall back, revealing his ocean-blue eye and the burning, predatory violet eye. Isabella gasped, but she didn't pull away. The sight of the 'Corruption' was not repulsive to her; it was mesmerizing.
[Ding!]
[Target: Isabella Oakhart.]
[Purity: 40%... 30%... 20% (Rapid Decline).]
[The seed of Rebellion has sprouted.]
"The Light you serve demands sacrifice without reward," Cyan whispered, his voice vibrating in her very soul. "The Darkness I offer demands everything, but in return, it gives you the power to burn those who caged you."
Cyan's hand moved to the back of her neck, his dark mana beginning to seep into her skin. Isabella's breath hitched. She felt a heat she had never known—a wild, primal energy that washed away the cold restrictions of her upbringing.
"Do you want to be a puppet of the Light?" Cyan asked, his face inches from hers. "Or do you want to be the one pulling the strings?"
"I want... I want the power," she whimpered, her amethyst eyes clouding with a dark, rebellious tint. "Make me yours. Show me the truth."
[Ding!]
[First Corruption Protocol: Initiated.]
[Skill Activated: Brand of the Sovereign.]
A surge of violet energy erupted from Cyan's hand, entering Isabella's body. She arched her back, a silent scream trapped in her throat as the holy mana within her was forcibly converted. On her collarbone, a faint, glowing purple mark appeared—the mark of a Sinner.
Suddenly, the doors of the chapel were kicked open.
"Lady Isabella!" a harsh voice barked.
Five temple guards, led by a high priest in white robes, stormed in, their silver swords drawn. "Step away from her, monster! You have defiled the daughter of the Count with your filth!"
The High Priest raised his golden staff, a blinding holy light beginning to gather at its tip. "In the name of the Goddess, perish!"
Cyan didn't even turn around. He simply pulled Isabella closer, his arm wrapped around her waist.
"Elara," he commanded.
From the shadows beneath the guards' feet, Elara emerged like a nightmare. Her claws were out, and her dark mana was so thick it felt like physical sludge. "As you wish, my King."
In a blur of black silk and blood, Elara tore through the guards. It wasn't a fight; it was a massacre. The holy light of the priest was snuffed out before he could even release it. He watched in horror as his men were dismantled by a shadow, their screams cut short.
"Isabella..." the priest gasped, falling to his knees as Elara's claw touched his throat. "Save yourself... run!"
Isabella looked at the dying priest—the man who had lectured her on 'purity' since she was a child. A cold, cruel smile touched her lips. She stepped forward, her new dark mana flickering around her fingertips like black flames.
"The Goddess didn't save you, High Priest," she said, her voice dripping with a newfound malice. "So why should I?"
With a flick of her hand, a bolt of dark energy struck the priest, silencing him forever.
[Ding!]
[First Taming of a Noble: Completed!]
[Rewards:]
Sin Points: +5000
Level Up: Level 7 -> Level 10.
Unlock Feature: [Harem System - First Member: Isabella Oakhart].
Title Gained: [Corruptor of the Pious].
Cyan looked at the carnage, then at the girl who was now kneeling before him, her eyes burning with the same violet light as his.
"The Count will know by morning," Isabella said, her voice steady. "He will send the entire army."
"Let him," Cyan said, looking toward the city of Oakhaven. "By the time he arrives, I will have turned his city into my fortress. And his army? They will either join us, or they will become the fertilizer for the new world we are building."
The moon was eclipsed by dark clouds, plunging the chapel into total darkness. But in that darkness, three pairs of violet eyes glowed with a terrifying promise.
The coronation of the 'Sun' was only two days away. And the King of Sin was already at the gates.
Author's Note:
And so, the first pearl of the Light has fallen! Isabella has embraced her inner darkness, but the Count won't take this lying down. A massive battle is looming at the gates of Oakhaven!